The passage
      v28. Mark tells us that the transfiguration is six days after the events at Caesarea Philippi, while Luke says it is eight days later. Luke's eight is highly symbolic. As with many resurrection appearances, 24:1, 13, 33, eight days symbolizes entrance into a new age, a new creation following the seventh day of God's rest. Only the inner circle of Jesus' disciples witness this significant event, and even they nearly miss it.
      v29. Glowing face and clothes serve as the first allusions to Daniel's visions and the theophany on Mount Sinai.
      v30. Two witnesses confirm the truth of the event, as on the day of resurrection, 24:4. What more trustworthy witnesses are there than Moses and Elijah?
      v31. Jesus and his witnesses discuss his "departure" (exodus) at Jerusalem. Again, this is a highly symbolic reference to Israel's Exodus and implies that Jesus, through his death and resurrection, is about to deliver God's people from their bondage of sin and death and usher them into the glory of the age to come.
      v32. The disciples gain a glimpse of the glory of the new age as Jesus is transfigured before their very eyes. The new age, the coming kingdom, is often described as glorious. This glory is witnessed in Jesus' resurrection, 24:26, 1Pet.1:21, and is promised for the parousia, the day of Christ's return, 9:26, Rom.8:18f.
      v33. Peter is right in wanting to mark this glorious moment by building a "booth", a temporary shelter. God was present with his people during their wilderness wanderings, and in the yearly feast of "booths" the people of Israel commemorate this presence and look toward the end-time when God would again be present with his people. In Jesus' radiance, the disciples witness the divine presence. Yet, Peter is wrong in wanting to build three "booths". The divine presence is in Jesus, not in the two witnesses.
      v34. The cloud of God's Shekinah glory confirms the divine presence and further relates the incident to Daniel's vision and the Mount Sinai theophany.
      v35. A divine word corrects Peter's mistake. Jesus is not to be compared with Moses and Elijah. Jesus is the divine "Son", the "chosen" one, the "elect" one, and therefore, the disciples should "listen" to him. The divine word declares Jesus as the royal Son of God, the messianic servant and the eschatological prophet like Moses, Deut.18:15. It is to Jesus the disciples must submit.
      v36. The disciples now think it best to keep quiet.

"Listen to him"
      Life should be enjoyed, not denied, or if you like, "don't worry, be happy." God's creation is ours to appreciate, and in the Western world we have a greater chance than most to appreciate it. Yet, the enjoyment of life is not an end in itself; it's just the froth on the top of the coffee.
      There is a sense where it is now five minutes to twelve. We live at the end of time, the last hour, the seventh day. If we were present that day on the Mount of Transfiguration when "the appearance of Jesus' face changed", we would have tasted something of the twelfth hour, the eighth day, the day of coming glory. Even now we are freed from our Egyptian bondage, the bondage of sin and death. We await the day of coming glory, the day when Jesus will return as the coming king, the Lord of the universe. In that day we will stand with God's glorious Son; he will be with us and we will be with him, and his glory will transform us, radiate us as it did Moses on the mountain.
      Meanwhile, we must get on with life and set an appropriate focus. There is many an Elijah or Moses to divide our loyalties, but in the end, it is Jesus we must "listen" too; he must be our focus, our Lord. Through his word, read, expounded, studied..... we can take up his life-giving truth and experience its transforming power, preparing us for our reign with Christ in eternity. Therefore, like those disciples of long ago, let us "listen to him."

v28
      egeneto - it happened, it came about. A common introductory phrase often not translated in English.
      meta touV logouV "after Jesus said this" - after these words. Luke is tying this episode to Jesus' words on cross-bearing discipleship, "after these sayings", NRSV.
      wJsei hJmerai "about eight days" - about the extent of eight days. A rare use of the nominative case to define an extension of time (usually accusative). Mark has six days, possibly alluding to Exodus 24:16, the period of preparation before God spoke from the cloud. Is Luke's eight days a subtle allusion to the resurrection, the day after the Sabbath?
      proseuxasqai (proseucomai) inf. "to pray" - Luke tends to focus on what Jesus is doing. Mark does not refer to Jesus' intention to pray.

v29
      en tw/ proseucesqai "as he was praying" - while he was praying. Luke here links Jesus' prayer with his transformation.
      leukoV exastraptwn "bright as a flash of lightening" - a white that flashes, a dazzling white. Is Luke distinguishing between the transformation of Jesus' face (and therefore, person) and his outer garb? The language alludes to Old Testament descriptions of divine glory, Ezk.1:4, 7, Dan.12:6. This and other motifs in the episode, most likely allude to the Exodus and Daniel 10.

v30
      andreV duo "two men" - Luke also has two visionary persons at Jesus' resurrection, 24:4. Does he imply they are the same persons? If so, he is tying the trasfiguration to the resurrection. Why these two particular persons? Moses has been in the cloud before and of course, Elijah, due to his translation, is a living heavenly being. There is a tradition that Moses was also translated, given that the site of his tomb is unknown. So, they may represent living heavenly beings who originally possessed an earthly life; both fit persons to discuss Jesus' "exodus", or more particularly, two fit persons to witness to Jesus. The conservative view is that they represent the law and the prophets, now enshrined in Jesus' word - "listen to him". Luke gives us not hint that this is intended.

v31
      oiJ ofqenteV (oJraw) pas. part "appeared" - who having appeared
      doxh/ (a) "glorious splendor" - glory. That is, they are heavenly beings.
      exodon (oV) "exodus" - departure. The word is commonly used of death, in the sense of the "dearly departed." Yet, it is more likely that Luke intends an allusion to the Exodus of Israel from Egypt and in so doing, ties Jesus' departure in Jerusalem to the cross and the escape from sin and death of the new Israel in Christ.
      hmellen plhroun (plhrow) inf. "he was about to bring to fulfillment" - he was about to fulfill.

v32
      diagrhgorhsanteV (diagrhgorew) part. "when they became fully awake" - having awakened fully. Temporal participle. Note the NRSV "since they had stayed awake" probably misses Luke's point. The disciples have not been part of the transfiguration up to this point; they were asleep. The experience, up to this point, is for Jesus. Only now do the disciples share in it, just as the heavenly visitors prepare to leave.

v33
      en tw/ diacwrizesqai (diacwrizw) pas. inf. "As the men were leaving" - while they parted. It is the parting vision that prompts Peter to want to preserve the moment with the building of "three shelters."
      skhnaV (h) "shelters" - tents, tabernacles. Quite possibly another allusion to Israel's wilderness wanderings and so further underlining the Exodus theme. The problem is, why not also build a tabernacle for Peter and his friends?
      mh eidwV oJ legei "he did not know what he was saying" - not having known what he says. Mark tells us that it was Peter's fear that led to his desire to preserve the glory of the moment rather than allow the journey to continue toward suffering and death. It is also possible that Peter's mistake was in wanting to make three booths and in so doing, place Jesus on an equal footing with Moses and Elijah.

v34
      tauta de autou legontoV "while he was speaking" - and these things him saying. The implication is that Peter's words hasten the end of the theophany.
      epeskiazen (episkiazw) imperf. "enveloped [them]" - was overshadowing, covering. Whom did the cloud cover? Mark implies it was just the heavenly visitors and Jesus, therefore emphasizing the cloud as a divine transportation medium. In Luke the cloud seems to cover everyone, therefore emphasizing the divine presence. Note the allusion to the cloud covering the tabernacle in Exodus 40:35.
      efobhqhsan (fobew) aor. pas. "they were afraid" - A proper response when confronted by a theophany.

v35
      ouJtoV estin oJ uiJoV "this is my son" - Is a filial sense intended? Certainly a messianic sense is intended. See the words at Jesus' baptism, although there they are for Jesus' ears only.
      oJ eklelegmenoV (eklegomai) "whom I have chosen" - the one having been chosen. In the sense of appointed as messiah.
      autou akouete "listen to him" - to him listen. This divine directive is surely the key teaching point of the episode.